Absorption Imaging Research Articles

Atom cloud detection and segmentation using a deep neural network

We use a deep neural network (NN) to detect and place region-of-interest (ROI) boxes around ultracold atom clouds in absorption and fluorescence images—with the ability to identify and bound multiple clouds within a single image. The NN also outputs segmentation masks that identify the size, shape and orientation of each cloud from which we extract the clouds’ Gaussian parameters. This allows 2D Gaussian fits to be reliably seeded thereby enabling fully automatic image processing. The method developed performs significantly better than a more conventional method based on a standardized image analysis library (Scikit-image) both for identifying ROI and extracting Gaussian parameters.

Single-shot x-ray phase-contrast and dark-field imaging based on coded binary phase mask

We introduce a coded-mask-based multi-contrast imaging method for high-resolution phase-contrast and dark-field imaging. The method uses a binary phase mask designed to provide an ultra-high-contrast pattern and reference-free single-shot measurement and an algorithm based on maximum-likelihood optimization and automatic differentiation to perform simultaneous reconstruction of absorption, phase, and dark-field object images. Further, we demonstrate that the method has great potential for real-time quantitative phase imaging and wavefront sensing when combined with deep learning.

Physics-trained neural network for sparse-view volumetric laser absorption imaging of species and temperature in reacting flows.

A deep learning method for laser absorption tomography was developed to effectively integrate physical priors related to flow-field thermochemistry and transport. Mid-fidelity reacting flow simulations were coupled with a forward molecular absorption model to train a deep neural network that performs the tomographic inversion of laser absorption images to predict temperature and species fields in flames. The method was evaluated through numerical simulation and experimental testing in benchtop laminar flames. The target flow-fields involved a spatially-convolved laminar ethylene-flame doublet, backlit with tunable radiation from a quantum cascade laser near 4.85 µm probing rovibrational absorption transitions of carbon monoxide. 2D images were collected at 11 different projection angles, yielding an aggregate of 50,688 unique lines of sight capturing the scene with a pixel resolution of approximately 70 µm. A convolutional neural network was introduced to efficiently generate temperature and species profiles and trained with a large dataset of large-eddy simulations of laminar flames at variable conditions. The learning-based approach to the inversion problem was found to more accurately predict species and temperature fields of the flame with fewer projection angles, reduce convergence time, and expand the field domain relative to classical linear tomography.

Snapshot three-dimensional absorption imaging of microscopic specimens.

Snapshot projection optical tomography (SPOT) uses a micro-lens array (MLA) to simultaneously capture the projection images of a three-dimensional (3D) specimen corresponding to different viewing directions. Compared to other light-field imaging techniques using an MLA, SPOT is dual telecentric and can block high-angle stray rays without sacrificing the light collection efficiency. Using SPOT, we recently demonstrated snapshot 3D fluorescence imaging. Here we demonstrate snapshot 3D absorption imaging of microscopic specimens. For the illumination, we focus the incoherent light from a light-emitting diode onto a pinhole, which is placed at a conjugate plane to the sample plane. SPOT allows us to capture the ray bundles passing through the specimen along different directions. The images recorded by an array of lenslets can be related to the projections of 3D absorption coefficient along the viewing directions of lenslets. Using a tomographic reconstruction algorithm, we obtain the 3D map of absorption coefficient. We apply the developed system to different types of samples, which demonstrates the optical sectioning capability. The transverse and axial resolutions measured with gold nanoparticles are 1.3 μm and 2.3 μm, respectively.

Linear multispectral absorption tomography based on regularized iterative methods.

A regularization approach of iterative algorithms was proposed to reconstruct the two-dimensional temperature and concentration distributions based on linear multispectral absorption tomography (MAT). This method introduces a secondary prior into a classical iterative algorithm via regularization to improve the reconstruction accuracy. Numerical studies revealed that the regularized iteration outperformed the classical and superiorized versions under various noisy conditions and with different number of spectral lines. The algorithms were also tested with the existing experimental data of a premixed flat flame produced by a McKenna burner. The comparison between the reconstructions and the measured temperature profile using thermocouples confirmed the superiority of our proposed regularized iterative method.

High-Resolution Imaging of Cold Atoms through a Multimode Fiber

We developed an ultra-compact high-resolution imaging system for cold atoms. Its only in-vacuum element is a multimode optical fiber with a diameter of $230\,\mu$m, which simultaneously collects light and guides it out of the vacuum chamber. External adaptive optics allow us to image cold Rb atoms with a $\sim 1\,\mu$m resolution over a $100 \times 100\,\mu$m$^2$ field of view. These optics can be easily rearranged to switch between fast absorption imaging and high-sensitivity fluorescence imaging. This system is particularly suited for hybrid quantum engineering platforms where cold atoms are combined with optical cavities, superconducting circuits or optomechanical devices restricting the optical access.

(Invited) Energy Conversion and Storage:Novel Materials and Operando Methods

This presentation will deal with the development of new materials and operando methods for energy conversion and storage with emphasis on fuel cells and battery materials and technologies. The presentation will begin with a brief overview of the methods employed. Particular emphasis will be placed on the use of X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) X-ray microscopy and tomography and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) under active potential control. The utility of these methods will be illustrated by selected examples including electrocatalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in acid and base, hydrogen oxidation reaction (HOR) and spectroscopic studies of Li/S and Li/Se batteries and Li metal deposition and dendritic growth. The presentation will conclude with an assessment of future directions.

DeepPhase: Learning phase contrast signal from dual energy X-ray absorption images

Due to the high hardware complexity and low dose efficiency of existing X-ray phase contrast imaging, the biomedical and clinical applications of this novel imaging technique have been hindered. This study proposes a deep learning method, named DeepPhase, to extract differential phase contrast (DPC) image from two dual-energy absorption images. It obviates the need of dedicated DPC imaging devices such as Talbot–Lau gratings and is compatible with diagnostic-level dual-energy X-ray imaging hardware. Given two dual-energy absorption images for an object, all we need to produce its DPC image at a certain energy is a well-trained DeepPhase network. Results demonstrate that, compared with conventional Talbot–Lau interferometry, DeepPhase achieves high-quality DPC imaging at multiple dual-energy combinations and low radiation dose.

Angular Momentum Josephson Effect between Two Isolated CondensatesSupported by the National Key Research and Development Program in China (Grant Nos. 2017YFA0304504 and 2017YFA0304103), and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 11774328).

We demonstrate that the two degenerate energy levels in spin–orbit coupled trapped Bose gases, coupled by a quenched Zeeman field, can be used for angular momentum Josephson effect. In a static quenched field, we can realize a Josephson oscillation with a period ranging from millisecond to hundreds of milliseconds. Moreover, by a driven Zeeman field, we realize a new Josephson oscillation, in which the population imbalance may have the same expression as the current in the direct-current Josephson effect. When the dynamics of the condensate cannot follow up the modulation frequency, it is in the self-trapping regime. This new dynamic is understood from the time-dependent evolution of the constant-energy trajectory in the phase space. This model has several salient advantages compared to the previous ones. The condensates are isolated from their excitations by a finite gap, thus can greatly suppress the damping effect induced by thermal atoms and Bogoliubov excitations. The oscillation period can be tuned by several orders of magnitude without influencing other parameters. In experiments, the dynamics can be mapped out from spin and momentum spaces, thus it is not limited by the spatial resolution in absorption imaging. This system can serve as a promising platform for matter wave interferometry and quantum metrology.

Multiple-camera defocus imaging of ultracold atomic gases.

In cold atom experiments, each image of light refracted and absorbed by an atomic ensemble carries a remarkable amount of information. Numerous imaging techniques including absorption, fluorescence, and phase-contrast are commonly used. Other techniques such as off-resonance defocused imaging (ORDI, [1-4]), where an in-focus image is deconvolved from a defocused image, have been demonstrated but find only niche applications. The ORDI inversion process introduces systematic artifacts because it relies on regularization to account for missing information at some spatial frequencies. In the present work, we extend ORDI to use multiple cameras simultaneously at degrees of defocus, eliminating the need for regularization and its attendant artifacts. We demonstrate this technique by imaging Bose-Einstein condensates, and show that the statistical uncertainties in the measured column density using the multiple-camera off-resonance defocused (McORD) imaging method are competitive with absorption imaging near resonance and phase contrast imaging far from resonance. Experimentally, the McORD method may be incorporated into existing set-ups with minimal additional equipment.

An experimental method to study the absorption capacity of paper towels

This study proposes an experimental method for the in-plane liquid wicking to determine the absorption capacity of retail paper towels. Individual plies of the paper towels were tested to minimize the transverse wicking effects on surface wetting. The method involves arbitrary point source injection of liquid into the paper towel surface while recording microscopic images of the wetted areas as liquid spreads. The samples were selected from two main manufacturing processes: conventional wet pressing and through air drying. The tested liquids were water and decane with various driving forces. Two distinct imaging systems, infrared light absorption imaging and visible light transmission imaging, monitored and recorded the wetting process. The wetted regions were calculated to generate the wetting graphs, which illustrate both the dynamic and static wetting behaviors.It was found the amount of driving force has a negligible effect on the maximum wetted area formed on the surface.So, the maximum wetted area and the paper grammage were applied to determine the absorption capacity of the tested towels. Moreover, the absorption capacity results were validated by the basket-immersion test method (ISO 12625-8).Therefore, the proposed method in this work enables quantification of the absorption capacity of papertowels.

X-ray Phase-Contrast Computed Tomography for Soft Tissue Imaging at the Imaging and Medical Beamline (IMBL) of the Australian Synchrotron

The Imaging and Medical Beamline (IMBL) is a superconducting multipole wiggler-based beamline at the 3 GeV Australian Synchrotron operated by the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO). The beamline delivers hard X-rays in the 25–120 keV energy range and offers the potential for a range of biomedical X-ray applications, including radiotherapy and medical imaging experiments. One of the imaging modalities available at IMBL is propagation-based X-ray phase-contrast computed tomography (PCT). PCT produces superior results when imaging low-density materials such as soft tissue (e.g., breast mastectomies) and has the potential to be developed into a valuable medical imaging tool. We anticipate that PCT will be utilized for medical breast imaging in the near future with the advantage that it could provide better contrast than conventional X-ray absorption imaging. The unique properties of synchrotron X-ray sources such as high coherence, energy tunability, and high brightness are particularly well-suited for generating PCT data using very short exposure times on the order of less than 1 min. The coherence of synchrotron radiation allows for phase-contrast imaging with superior sensitivity to small differences in soft-tissue density. Here we also compare the results of PCT using two different detectors, as these unique source characteristics need to be complemented with a highly efficient detector. Moreover, the application of phase retrieval for PCT image reconstruction enables the use of noisier images, potentially significantly reducing the total dose received by patients during acquisition. This work is part of ongoing research into innovative tomographic methods aimed at the introduction of 3D X-ray medical imaging at the IMBL to improve the detection and diagnosis of breast cancer. Major progress in this area at the IMBL includes the characterization of a large number of mastectomy samples, both normal and cancerous, which have been scanned at clinically acceptable radiation dose levels and evaluated by expert radiologists with respect to both image quality and cancer diagnosis.

Optical control of the density and spin spatial profiles of a planar Bose gas

We demonstrate the arbitrary control of the density profile of a two-dimensional Bose gas by shaping the optical potential applied to the atoms. We use a digital micromirror device (DMD) directly imaged onto the atomic cloud through a high resolution imaging system. Our approach relies on averaging the response of many pixels of the DMD over the diffraction spot of the imaging system, which allows us to create an optical potential with an arbitrary intensity profile and with micron-scale resolution. The obtained density distribution is optimized with a feedback loop based on the measured absorption images of the cloud. Using the same device, we also engineer arbitrary spin distributions thanks to a two-photon Raman transfer between internal ground states.

Characterization of temperature distributions in a swirled oxy-fuel coal combustor using tomographic absorption spectroscopy with fluctuation modelling

Oxy-fuel combustion promises efficient and inexpensive carbon dioxide sequestration and is therefore subject to active experimental research. However, the transfer of mature, non-intrusive diagnostic methods for temperature measurement like Coherent Anti-Stokes Raman Spectroscopy (CARS) from air-fed to oxy-fuel systems is challenging due to the deficiency in diatomic species suitable for thermometry. Although not limited to oxy-fuel atmospheres, we demonstrate the application of linear hyperspectral absorption tomography on water vapor in a swirled oxy-fuel coal combustor as a complementary diagnostic method, supplementing reference and validation data sets. Due to the burner design an axisymmetric reconstruction of the time-averaged temperature field is conducted. To compensate the temperature bias expected when evaluating time-averaged spectroscopic data we incorporate turbulent temperature fluctuations into our spectroscopic model, providing a fluctuation measure in addition to mean temperatures. The results quantitatively agree with vibrational O2-CARS measurements and qualitatively recreate spatial structures known from particle image velocimetry (PIV) flow fields.

Sample Environment for Operando Hard X-ray Tomography—An Enabling Technology for Multimodal Characterization in Heterogeneous Catalysis

Structure–activity relations in heterogeneous catalysis can be revealed through in situ and operando measurements of catalysts in their active state. While hard X-ray tomography is an ideal method for non-invasive, multimodal 3D structural characterization on the micron to nm scale, performing tomography under controlled gas and temperature conditions is challenging. Here, we present a flexible sample environment for operando hard X-ray tomography at synchrotron radiation sources. The setup features are discussed, with demonstrations of operando powder X-ray diffraction tomography (XRD-CT) and energy-dispersive tomographic X-ray absorption spectroscopy (ED-XAS-CT). Catalysts for CO2 methanation and partial oxidation of methane are shown as case studies. The setup can be adapted for different hard X-ray microscopy, spectroscopy, or scattering synchrotron radiation beamlines, is compatible with absorption, diffraction, fluorescence, and phase-contrast imaging, and can operate with scanning focused beam or full-field acquisition mode. We present an accessible methodology for operando hard X-ray tomography studies, which offer a unique source of 3D spatially resolved characterization data unavailable to contemporary methods.

Probing Chern number of quasicrystals with disorders in optical lattices

We propose a scheme that uses ultra-cold fermionic atoms trapped in an optical lattice to detect the exotic topological band structure of quasicrystals with or without disorders. Analogous with the Wannier function technique applied in crystals for topological band theory, we generalize this approach to measure the topological invariants of the Harper model with or without disorders for describing quasicrystals. In addition, we theoretically explained that the non-integer shift of the center of the Wannier function exactly corresponds to the Chern number of the quasicrystal, which is different from crystals. Besides, the Chern number of the system can be directly detected from measuring the center of mass of a cloud of atoms with the standard in situ absorption imaging technique, meaning that our scheme can be realized in current experiments.

Broadband Q-Factor Imaging for Geofluid Detection in the Gulf of Trieste (Northern Adriatic Sea)

Seismic surveys allow estimating lithological parameters, as P-wave velocity and anelastic absorption, which can detect the presence of fracture and fluids in the geological formations. Recently, a new method has been proposed for high-resolution imaging of anelastic absorption, which combines a macro-model from seismic tomography with a micro-model obtained by the pre-stack depth migration of a seismic attribute, i.e., the instantaneous frequency. As a result, we can get a broadband image that provides clues about the presence of saturating fluids. When the saturation changes sharply, as for gas reservoirs with an impermeable caprock, the acoustic impedance contrast produces “bright spots” because of the resulting high reflectivity at its top. When the fluid content changes smoothly, the anelastic absorption becomes a good detector, as fluid-filled formations absorb more seismic energy than hard rocks. We apply this method for imaging the anelastic absorption in a regional seismic survey acquired by OGS in the Gulf of Trieste (northern Adriatic Sea, Italy).

Principles of Different X-ray Phase-Contrast Imaging: A Review

Numerous advances have been made in X-ray technology in recent years. X-ray imaging plays an important role in the nondestructive exploration of the internal structures of objects. However, the contrast of X-ray absorption images remains low, especially for materials with low atomic numbers, such as biological samples. X-ray phase-contrast images have an intrinsically higher contrast than absorption images. In this review, the principles, milestones, and recent progress of X-ray phase-contrast imaging methods are demonstrated. In addition, prospective applications are presented.

Dynamics of Ultracold Bosons in Artificial Gauge Fields-Angular Momentum, Fragmentation, and the Variance of Entropy.

We consider the dynamics of two-dimensional interacting ultracold bosons triggered by suddenly switching on an artificial gauge field. The system is initialized in the ground state of a harmonic trapping potential. As a function of the strength of the applied artificial gauge field, we analyze the emergent dynamics by monitoring the angular momentum, the fragmentation as well as the entropy and variance of the entropy of absorption or single-shot images. We solve the underlying time-dependent many-boson Schrödinger equation using the multiconfigurational time-dependent Hartree method for indistinguishable particles (MCTDH-X). We find that the artificial gauge field implants angular momentum in the system. Fragmentation—multiple macroscopic eigenvalues of the reduced one-body density matrix—emerges in sync with the dynamics of angular momentum: the bosons in the many-body state develop non-trivial correlations. Fragmentation and angular momentum are experimentally difficult to assess; here, we demonstrate that they can be probed by statistically analyzing the variance of the image entropy of single-shot images that are the standard projective measurement of the state of ultracold atomic systems.

Ultraviolet-Based Science in the Solar System: Advances and Next Steps

We review the importance of recent UV observations of solar system targets and discuss the need for further measurements, instrumentation and laboratory work in the coming decade. In the past decade, numerous important advances have been made in solar system science using ultraviolet (UV) spectroscopic techniques. Formerly used nearly exclusively for studies of giant planet atmospheres, planetary exospheres and cometary emissions, UV imaging spectroscopy has recently been more widely applied. The geyser-like plume at Saturn's moon Enceladus was discovered in part as a result of UV stellar occultation observations, and this technique was used to characterize the plume and jets during the entire Cassini mission. Evidence for a similar style of activity has been found at Jupiter's moon Europa using Hubble Space Telescope (HST) UV emission and absorption imaging. At other moons and small bodies throughout the solar system, UV spectroscopy has been utilized to search for activity, probe surface composition, and delineate space weathering effects; UV photometric studies have been used to uncover regolith structure. Insights from UV imaging spectroscopy of solar system surfaces have been gained largely in the last 1-2 decades, including studies of surface composition, space weathering effects (e.g. radiolytic products) and volatiles on asteroids (e.g. [2][39][48][76][84]), the Moon (e.g. [30][46][49]), comet nuclei (e.g. [85]) and icy satellites (e.g. [38][41-44][45][47][65]). The UV is sensitive to some species, minor contaminants and grain sizes often not detected in other spectral regimes. In the coming decade, HST observations will likely come to an end. New infrastructure to bolster future UV studies is critically needed. These needs include both developmental work to help improve future UV observations and laboratory work to help interpret spacecraft data. UV instrumentation will be a critical tool on missions to a variety of targets in the coming decade, especially for the rapidly expanding application of UV reflectance investigations of atmosphereless bodies.